3 Mobile Marketing Trends Heating Up in 2017

Your brand’s digital media site is flourishing: you’re seeing tons of page views, getting great lift from partnerships, and can regularly expect a handful of quality comments on most of the stories you post.

But something’s not quite right. Despite healthy traffic, you’re not even close to hitting your conversion goal. People aren’t subscribing to your newsletter, and your bounce rate is higher than you’d like.

What gives?

For many brands, the answer lies in your mobile marketing strategy.

Think about it: this morning, as you waited in line for your morning coffee, did you look around? If you did, you’d have noticed a trend—everyone looking down at his or her phone, one earbud in, waiting for his or her orders to be called. Do you take the train in? You likely would have seen rows of bowed heads, eyes lowered while they caught up on news, checked in on their favorite sites, and played a game or two. Mobile devices are on everyone’s nightstands acting as alarms. It’s the first thing you grab in the morning, and it’s close at hand throughout the day. It’s more likely than not that your audience is coming to your site via a mobile device.

So when’s the last time you evaluated your mobile presence?

If it’s been longer than you’d care to admit, now’s the time to take charge. Are you not sure where to start your marketing transformation? Check out these three mobile marketing trends that are heating up in 2017, and use them as your guide to placing your brand into the hands of your users.

1. Get Programmatic

Programmatic marketing is projected to be among the big marketing trends for mobile in 2017, with over $20 billion spent on these ads. It provides the flexibility necessary to target customers in real time. Programmatic marketing can also change a consumer’s mind.

Getting a subscription usually requires some hemming and hawing as you try to figure out if it’s worth spending money for more content that you may not read. Back in 2015, The Economist used programmatic marketing to show off their best work to convert likely readers. The ads featured witty headlines that led to a dedicated hub. The campaign resulted in 3.6 million people taking some action.

DSW had similar success with its programmatic strategy. From the computer to mobile to the store, DSW targeted three categories of consumers by matching cookies with a user’s mobile ID. Despite having a digital presence, most consumers complete transactions at a store. By using programmatic, DSW now had a database of digital information the brand could use to lead customers to in-store promotions.

Mobile marketers should look to programmatic marketing as a way to effectively and efficiently reach mobile consumers. There is an increased ROI without the need to increase content or attempt something risky considering how much competition for attention is currently taking place on mobile.

2. Partner Up

Mobile marketing and brand partnerships go together like peanut butter and jelly. After all, if you’re reading a list of top destinations in 2017, you’re also likely in the market for a hotel or flight. The same goes with sports and drinks loaded with electrolytes. We’re living in a world that’s demanding more efficiency and a holistic experience that better serves our needs. Sometimes, we ask our technology to anticipate our needs before we know what we’re craving.

A partnership can also be very sweet. Like sending a serenade to a loved one—as done by Uber and Hershey’s for Valentine’s Day.

Brand partnerships can highlight a brand for all involved in said relationship. Further, it creates some cross-pollination between two potentially overlapping audiences. A partnership helps remove some heavy lifting required in any mobile campaign. There’s an inherent trust that the partnered brand is of the same quality and can be beneficial to the audience.

Halloween is a great time to get creative with a campaign. The costumes and engaging stories give you opportunities to take a few risks because the audience is receptive and wants to have some fun. Coca-Cola saw this potential when it partnered with Dollar General for a spooky campaign around their Halloween-themed Fanta cans.

Beacons were installed in 13,000 stores that would trigger discounts on Coca-Cola products. Consumers were encouraged to share their creations using their Dollar General purchases on social. It’s fun, successfully sold two brands, and scared up a lot of social engagement while delivering some fun user-generated content.

3. Lean on Apps

Dedicated apps can make your brand’s mobile experience stand out. Sure, a responsive website for mobile can work, but there’s a whole ecosystem that lives within an app. Push notifications can alert users to flash sales. Smart linking can send users directly to specific areas of interest—which makes the whole experience satisfying, seamless, and much more personal. The overwhelming majority (89 percent) of time spent on mobile is through app usage.

Not only do consumers convert more when using an app, but they also spend more. There’s also a lot of data that can then be used to better tailor the experience to the consumer. Personal recommendations are one such example. For companies looking to live on the cutting edge, an augmented reality element can make your app a true destination for consumers.

Apps also eliminate any potential barriers, which is why the Domino’s app is such a success. The entire pizza purchasing process is contained within the app, from creation to payment. You can even track the pizza as it’s crafted, boxed, and delivered to your door. (I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.)

If you’re looking to create a long-lasting impression with customers, an app provides incredible flexibility for all types of content. As a marketer looking to grow your brand, the application serves as a powerful destination for your story.

Dell and golf don’t really go hand-in-hand, so the company created the Play Through app to announce its role as title sponsor of the PGA’s World Golf Championships Match Play knockout tournament. You could play nine rounds of golf in the streets of Austin, Texas using a clever AR game that’s updated with stats about your swing and the local weather. Through the app, Dell was not only able to announce the new role, but it also connected with golf fans who may not normally engage with the brand.

Before you start wracking your brain (or budget) to boost conversions, think about your mobile users and the ways in which they may not be satisfied. Sometimes something as simple as a mobile-friendly subscribe button can make all the difference. No matter your direction, though, be sure to build mobile into your Q2 plans. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: mobile marketing is changing user behavior in a tangible way. Make sure you’re everywhere your audience goes—or you’ll miss them completely.